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Skilling: Cloudy with possible showers Thursday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:00 GMT

Chicago's weather remained comfortable today even as much of the country to the south—all the way from California to Florida---baked. There have been 860 record high temps broken in the past 7 days nationally.  Extreme heat is making news on three continents in the northern hemisphere, taxing electrical grids given the demand for fans and air conditioners.  Meantime, a combination of heat and drought in Canada has nearly 900 fires still burning in that country's worst fire season on record.  Two-thirds of those fires are out of control. Exhausted firefighters who have never had to fight so many fires so early in a fire season are being supplemented by 1,000 Canadian military personnel.  Every time steering winds shift into the Lower 48 from Canada,  a veil of smoke sweeps into Chicago's airspace.Air quality has actually improved a bit today coming in at the low end of the "MODERATE" range on EPA's 6 tier air quality scale.Chicago logged its 4th con...

Where baseball fans can get free hot dogs in July

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:00 GMT

CHICAGO — Wednesday is National Hot Dog Day, and it's the first time that baseball fans enjoy one of Chicago's favorite foods for free as part of a contest at local baseball venues.That's through a promotion between Miller Lite and Chicago-based Vienna Beef, who are hosting tailgates at three different ballparks in July as part of a contest to find the "Hot Dog Champ of Chicago."There is also a chance that you can name your own hot dog that will be served at one of the ballparks in town. Starting on Wednesday and continuing through the end of the month, fans will have the opportunity to taste a sample of a hot dog from each restaurant and then vote on which one is best.Those up for consideration include Lola's Coney Island, Flub a Dub Chub's, Cozzi Corner Hot Dogs & Beer, and George's Hot Dogs - all of which are based in the Chicago area.Here are the three tailgates being hosted by Miller Lite and Vienna Beef.Wednesday, July 19 - Wrigleyville (Event 21 & Over)Rizzo's Bar &am...

Tupac search involves documents at Las Vegas home of murder witness: sources

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:00 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- The Las Vegas Metro police search at a Henderson home involves documents and personal items belonging to Duane "Keffe D" Davis who publicly said he was in the car with the gunman who killed Tupac Shakur in 1996, sources told Nexstar's KLAS.In his book and in several interviews, Davis, 60, has said he was in the car with a person who fired into the BMW carrying Shakur and record executive Suge Knight. Shakur died six days later from his injuries.Davis said the car pulled up side-by-side to the BMW at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane before someone in the backseat fired a gun."When we pulled up, I was in the front seat," Davis said in a 2018 BET interview. "Happen to see my friend, Suge." Alabama woman had ‘highly unusual’ search history before her disappearance, police say "You said the shots came from the back," the interviewer said to Davis in the BET video. "Who shot Tupac?""Going to keep it for the code of the streets," Davis said. "It just c...

Alabama woman had 'highly unusual' search history before her disappearance, police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:00 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — An Alabama woman who reportedly vanished off the side an interstate is home safe, but the investigation has yielded new pieces of evidence police described as "highly unusual" on Wednesday.Carlee Russell, 25, became the focus of national attention when she called police to report a child walking along I-459 near Hoover, Alabama, on July 13. Police arrived where Russell had reported seeing the child, but found her car empty. She was subsequently declared missing, and a widespread search began. Timeline of Carlee Russell’s disappearance, return and the ongoing investigation into what happened to her On Wednesday, Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis revealed search history that had been taken from Russell's phone before her disappearance. The police chief said the alleged searches included: Tuesday, July 11, 7:30 a.m. – “You have to pay for an Amber alert”Thursday, July 13, 1:03 a.m. – “How to take money from a register without being caught”Thursday, Ju...

3 people shot on Chicago's Near West Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:00 GMT

CHICAGO — Three people were shot Wednesday afternoon on the Near West Side of Chicago, according to police.Chicago Police Department officers were called to the shooting around 3:50 p.m. to the 100 block of North Oakley Boulevard. Man shot and killed during robbery in Humboldt Park Two boys, 16 and 17, and a 52-year-old man were all shot and taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said.No one has been arrested yet.The incident is still under investigation.

'Once in a lifetime' catch: Virginia fisherman reels in rare blue-mouthed mutation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:00 GMT

CAROLINE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- After fishing in the same private pond in Virginia's Caroline County for 20 years, one fisherman reeled in a catch he never would have expected.John Byrd, of Bowling Green, had caught a rare 11-and-a-half-inch blue-mouth chain pickerel. Byrd contacted a Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources regional fisheries biologist and was told that the fish had a “wild genetic pigment mutation” and that the catch "pretty much falls into the one-in-a-lifetime category of catches" but was otherwise normal.Blue-mouth chain pickerel caught by John Byrd (Photo: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources)Blue-mouth chain pickerel caught by John Byrd (Photo: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources)“The coloration expressed by the blue pickerel is extremely rare,” the DWR said. Catch this land-walking fish? Don’t toss it back – do this instead The chain pickerel, which nearly resembles a northern pike, is commonly found in rivers, streams and reservoirs. The fish i...

MedWatch Daily Digest: Cancer ages survivors — and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:00 GMT

For Wednesday, July 19, WGN’s Dina Bair has the latest on new medical information, including: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch Breast cancer survivors experience a faster rate of biological decline Better treatments have provided the opportunity to live after a breast cancer diagnosis. But women battling cancer do not undergo the same aging process as those never diagnosed. One in eight women will develop breast cancer. According to Moffitt Cancer Center researchers, there is a lasting impact on biological function. Breast cancer survivors have a higher rate of heart disease and a more rapid physical and cognitive decline. The type of breast cancer didn't matter, but treatment played a role. Those who received radiation showed faster biological aging.  There are currently 4 million breast cancer survivors in the US.Suicidality in young people increases during April and OctoberCertain times of the year are more dangerous than others regarding suicide. A study by public health exp...

Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ receives backlash over tip policy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:00 GMT

BUDA, Texas (KXAN) -- The popular restaurant in Buda, Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ, is facing some backlash for its employee tip policy. If employees broke certain rules, they'd be at risk of not receiving tips. The owners said the policy has since changed. What was the policy?A woman who said she is a former employee told KXAN tips were taken at their discretion and when they were taken, they'd be taken for the entire week the incident happened. According to a screenshot of the policy circulating on social media, tips could be taken for a number of reasons: An employee was lateNo call, no showWrite-up during a shiftAn employee was fired An employee quit without two weeks' written noticeRestaurant owner, Miguel Vidal, confirmed that was their policy. "That was a screenshot of our handbook that we wrote in 2013 with the policy going in place in 2015 or 2016," Vidal said. But, he said it was never regularly enforced and that it hasn't happened for a few years. Instead, Vidal claimed it was...

APD identifies victim in gas station homicide, still searching for suspect

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department identified the victim in the Airport Boulevard gas station homicide Sunday and is also asking for the public's help in identifying the suspect, APD said in a news release Wednesday.Shortly after 9 p.m., July 16, officers responded to reports of a shooting at the Valero gas station, 1135 Airport Blvd, the release said.APD also released video of the shooting on its YouTube page. The video shows a man firing a gun inside the store and running into the parking lot. APD investigating homicide on Airport Boulevard When officers arrived on the scene, they found a man, Tijarious White, 19, with gunshot wounds, according to police. White died on the scene.According to police, White was inside the gas station as a customer when the suspect entered the gas station and shot and killed White.The suspect is described as:Black maleTallHeavy builtThis is being investigated as Austin's 39th homicide, according to police. MAP: Where have Austin’s homi...

Austin moves to #1 for hottest July on record

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The first 19 days of the month have now tied for the hottest July on record to date, matching the day and night temperature average from July, 2022.For the fourth consecutive day Wednesday, Austin tied or broke a daily record high, reaching 106° which ties the record set just last year. Austin also set an all-time record for number of consecutive days with highs of 105°+. The streak is now at 10 days, and appears it should continue for some time.Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories remain in place nearly areawide through Thursday at 8 p.m. These heat alerts will be extended on Friday.A 10% chance of isolated thunderstorms returns to the forecast this weekend, but rain will be hard to come by. Record high temperatures will be in jeopardy again next week.Other than a few isolated storms this weekend, most stay dry over the next 7+ daysSummer Fan DriveThank you for helping make our 33rd annual KXAN Summer Fan Drive a success! We exceeded our goals thanks to your...